Multi-platinum singer-songwriter and mental health pioneer Jewel joins judge panel to select Unity creators who are finding innovative ways to leverage Unity technology to drive change in the world
SAN FRANCISCO — (BUSINESS WIRE) — May 20, 2024 — Unity (NYSE: U), the world’s leading platform of tools for creators to build and grow real-time games, apps, and experiences across multiple platforms, today announced the 2024 Unity for Humanity grant winners and honorees, all of whom will receive bespoke awards from a pool of $500,000USD. Judged based on the vision, impact, inclusion, and viability of their projects, the eight winners will also receive technical support from Unity to bring these projects to life.
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“Each year, we are humbled and inspired by the dedication of our creators who are passionately driving positive change in the world,” said Jessica Lindl, Vice President of Social Impact at Unity. “From a pool of nearly 500 applications, this year’s winners and honorees stood out for their thoughtful and innovative approaches to addressing a wide range of global issues using Unity’s platform. We’re immensely proud to champion their work and look forward to watching their visions become a reality.”
Jewel, the multi-platinum singer-songwriter, New York Times best-selling author, mental-health pioneer and cofounder of Inspiring Children Foundation (ICF) and Innerworld, threw her support behind this year’s Unity for Humanity campaign as a guest judge, providing a unique perspective for selecting the final list of winners and honorees. For over 22 years, ICF has transformed lives of underserved youth through a whole human approach to physical, emotional, and mental health.
“Making a meaningful difference to people’s lives through accessible tools is an important mission of mine, so it was an honor to be a guest judge for this social impact program that is empowering change around the world,” said Jewel. “I look forward to seeing the positive impact these projects will have when they’re widely available.”
This year’s winners are:
- Akiiwan: Survival is a crafting/survival game in which players discover the stories and wisdom of Indigenous nations through their crafts, tools, and survival skills.
- Crab God: Mother of the Tide is an entertainment game meant to create a positive impact on ocean conservation and climate change.
- Eddie and I is a VR experience that blends interactive storytelling with hand-tracking technology to teach sign language and promote empathy.
- MAYA: The Birth of a Superhero is an immersive story following Maya, an ordinary 21st century girl, as she transforms into a uniquely female superhero whose powers derive from the process of menstruation.
- Surgeons without Borders is leveraging the power of a Unity-based VR gaming network to collaboratively reduce infant mortality by lowering congenital heart disease (CHD) mortality in infants, a leading cause of infant mortality worldwide.
- The Arctic Lighthouse is an AR Game about climate change connecting young changemakers from all over the globe on a mission of protecting portals to a sustainable future.
- The Light Within is a mobile adventure game featuring a biracial protagonist and queer characters that equips players with real-world tools for improving their mental health.
- YourHaven allows young people to design immersive, scalable mental health and wellness support to reduce youth violence and improve employability skills and wellbeing.
Honorable Mentions:
- BetaBEN is centered around empowering the visually impaired community with unprecedented levels of independence and mobility by transforming the way they perceive and navigate their environment.
- Waves of Jeju is a virtual reality game that educates players about environmental justice and climate solutions, while facilitating cross-cultural awareness and healing.
For more information on the winners and honorees projects visit the blog. The entire Unity team extends our heartfelt congratulations to this year’s winners and honorees.
About Unity
Unity [NYSE: U] is the world's leading platform of tools for creators to build and grow real-time games, apps, and experiences across multiple platforms, from mobile, PC, and console, to spatial computing. For more information, visit Unity.com.
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Contact:
Bryony Gittins
bryony.gittins@unity3d.com